The sampling is part of geotech investigations being completed on behalf of Mataura Valley Milk Ltd, which is planning to build a milk processing plant at McNab. Two drilling rigs are taking core samples to a depth of between 2m and 10m. The rigs will work their way northward and move on to MacGibbon Rd next week.

MVM spokesman Bernard May said the investigations were to confirm the trench design for services to the new plant.

“We will be taking drill samples at between 800m and 1.5km intervals,” he said.